Mustard Free Thyme Jerk Chicken
Bold, smoky, and deeply fragrant, this jerk chicken is built on a marinade that layers allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh thyme, and fiery Scotch bonnet peppers into something genuinely complex. The heat is real but balanced by maple syrup and fresh lime juice, so every bite has that classic sweet-heat push and pull that makes jerk so addictive. Mustard is a surprisingly common hidden ingredient in bottled jerk sauces and spice blends, so making the paste from scratch here is the move ā you know exactly what's going in. Tamari stands in as the savory backbone, and garlic-infused oil keeps the allium flavor front and center without any of the usual suspects sneaking in. Bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks are the right call for this kind of high-heat grilling ā the fat renders, the skin chars beautifully, and the meat stays juicy all the way through. Resting a portion of the marinade separately for basting means you get those glossy, caramelized layers building up on the skin as it grills, not just a one-note coating. Finish with a squeeze of lime and a scatter of fresh scallion greens, and this is the kind of plate that disappears fast.
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Learn more āIngredients
4 servings
For the chicken
- 3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- Ā½ tsp black pepper
For the jerk marinade
- 3 tbsp garlic-infused oil
- 6 scallions, green tops only, roughly chopped
- 1ā2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, stemmed and seeded
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Ā½ tsp ground nutmeg
- Ā½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For serving
- lime wedges, for serving (optional)
- sliced scallion green tops, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels, then season all over with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Set aside while you make the marinade.
- 2
Combine the garlic-infused oil, scallion green tops, Scotch bonnet pepper(s), thyme, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, tamari, maple syrup, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and 1 tsp kosher salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until a coarse, fragrant paste forms, about 30 seconds.
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